I had the pleasure of meeting Janice when I brought my daughters 10/8 for their first lessons. Her…read moreapproach and attitude show she genuinely cares about teach the children the correct way to ride and care for a horse. We had tried with other instructors that simply cared to rush us in and out. Janicea exceptional teach and we will definitely continue to have our kids attend lessons.

I take my kids to JM Sporthorse for their riding lessons and they absolutely love it. They barely…read morerode before, and now it is the best part of their week. Janice is so great with them and has taught them so much! You can tell she honestly cares about her role and the people she teaches. More than that, Janice is a thoughtful instructor who treats her horses with the kindness and respect that they deserve. The horses are wonderful, kind, responsive, and patient with my kids. I could not recommend enough!

I've been riding at NSEC for 2 years now, and all my experiences have been positive! The teacher's…read moreare always very friendly and helpful in lessons and outside, the atmosphere at the place is always enjoyable and there is always someone around (teacher or student) who you can ask for help if you ever need any. The horses are always wonderful to ride and you always learn a lot from each one. There is room for improvement regarding the pace at which students improve throughout the year, as I sometimes find other students in my class eager learn new things or try higher jumps. Overall, I love coming here every week; it's a beautiful place to ride at and a great sport to practice!

My daughter started riding in Sept 2014. She looks forward to riding all week, she always knows…read morewhen it's Wednesday. Riding has given her a real sense of responsibility and self confidence. It has been wonderful to watch her grow. It is amazing to watch these young children tack a horse on their own or with the assistance of a young volunteer. We only have experience with one teacher and she has been wonderful, always offering encouragement to the kids.

The best well-managed barn I have experienced. The care of the horses is top notch - Wendy is…read moremeticulous and on top of each animal's well being. Shoeing, vet visits, vaccinations; all organized for you. The people are great; it's a true family atmosphere. And the in-house coach (Heather) is an amazing horse-woman and teacher.

I've recently started taking lessons here with Academie Duello School of Modern Swordplay through…read moretheir Cavaliere Program for mounted combat. The facilities are great, the people are friendly, it's a great location and there is on-site parking. Some of the horses are owned by Academie Duello (Jack & Flavie) and some are owned by individuals who are boarding on the farm. Leasing is available for some of the horses and there are live-in caregivers on the property full time.

Red Colt is a unique horse boarding facility in Richmond, offering full horse board, lessons and…read moreleasing programs. I've boarded my mare at Red Colt for the past two years and love it there. She is well taken care of and the people are very friendly. It's also small (about 10-13 horses) and affordable - which is wonderful as it's so close to the city. I would totally recommend it!

Located just down the street from Richmond Country Farms and just shy of Riverport Entertainment…read morecomplex, Blue Meadow is a lovely riding facility in south east Richmond. It's really easy to get to as the bus to Riverport stops right at Palmberg, and it's just a hop and skip down Steveston Hwy off Highway 99. Blue Meadow has both an outdoor arena and a covered arena (not a completely indoor arena, but sheltered) which is great for our wet climate. The area footing is excellent. It's not soggy and water-logged, which can be a problem in Richmond as we're so close to sea level. The farm is three acres--plenty of room for the horses to graze and run around--and is owned by a family who leases it to the barn manager Yolanda Bloomers. Yolanda has school horses available for lessons and there are also boarding facilities. Blue Meadow has certified Equine Canada instructors/trainers who coach numerous English riding disciplines including dressage and jumping. The Equine Canada certification was important for me when researching a riding instructor, and as I don't own my own horse (yet!?), I needed someone with school horses available. I've recently started taking lessons with Yolanda who came highly recommended from other barn friends. When I emailed Yolanda, she suggested I first come and observe a lesson, so I could see her teaching style. I really appreciated this! It was so great to see her interacting with a rider to see her style, her mannerisms, and her competency. I definitely wanted to take lessons! I've had a couple lessons with Yolanda already at Blue Meadows, and I *definitely* intend to keep going. The price for a private lesson with use of a school horse is fair--equestrian sports are expensive--and I also think it's great value. What I really love about Yolanda's teaching style is that she explains the "why" of things--when this particular exercise is useful, the benefit of lunging in both directions, or how to do this weird terminology thing. Instead of shouting at you from across the arena, she either uses a small microphone and fanny-pack speaker, or walks with you (not beside you, but comes down to the end of the arena you're working in). She also gives the rider ample notice, like a GPS in the car would say "in 500 metres, turn left". I really appreciate that Yolanda gives positive feedback with the constructive criticism. I've worked with a lot of kids, and I've also worked as an instructor (not horseback riding), so I know the benefits of the "compliment sandwich". Yolanda also explains why the horse might not be responding to what the rider is asking, listing a couple possible reasons and then saying what to try adjusting the next go around. I can't wait to continue lessons, despite my sore muscles the day after!

I've been riding here for almost three years now and I love this place. It's clear that everyone is…read morehere because they love and care about the horses and their welfare, not to show off social status and appearance like some stables can be. Yolanda is an excellent instructor for beginners and advanced students alike, and knows her horses' capabilities and personalities well. The boarders and other riders are unpretentious and enthusiastic, and the horses are sensible and lovely, and great teachers themselves. It's low-key and friendly here, a wonderful environment whether you're a human or an equine.

We had a great time! I'm not an experienced rider so I was a bit nervous. Lorraine & Olivia were…read moregreat guides and made us feel at ease. The horses looked well cared for and were gentle. It's a definite must go experienced

Girls riding with us were extremely sweet and the horses were well behaved! The trail itself was a…read morebit boring but other than that the horses were easy to ride and get alone with. Though for the price and trail, I wouldn't say it was worth it.

Julie is an amazing instructor. Out of all the fencing clubs I've joined, Athena Fencing is my top…read morechoice. My niece and nephew have also had lessons. I'm happy with the exercise and confidence they are getting. Thank you Athena Fencing Club. Highly recommended!

My daughter rides at Thorbrooke and loves it. Beautiful, well maintained facilities, and horses are…read morevery well loved and taken care of. Arliss and Cassie are wonderful trainers and my daughter is learning a lot. Arliss, Cassie and their family have created a very nice and positive environment to learn and ride in. The barn has a family feel which is very welcoming and supportive.